Recent Drug Resistant Epilepsy Spectrum in Eastern India

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Epileptology

Background:

• Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) poses a significant burden in India due to unknown prevalence.
• DRE impacts patients through prolonged dependence, unemployment, and increased morbidity/mortality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical, electro-physiological, neuro-imaging, and drug-response spectrum of DRE in Eastern India.
• To understand the prevalence and characteristics of DRE in the Indian population.

Main Methods:

• Identified DRE patients based on International League Against Epilepsy criteria from January 2014 to December 2015.
• Conducted a special clinic study on isolated DRE patients, analyzing clinical data, EEG, neuro-imaging, and drug response.

Main Results:

• Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) was identified in 11.3% (243/2153) of neurology outpatients.
• Gender-specific patterns observed: males more affected in 0-5 years, females in 6-10 years; males prone to generalized tonic-clonic seizures, females to complex partial seizures.
• Electroencephalographic (EEG) abnormalities were linked to structural lesions, yet a significant number of DRE patients had normal EEGs. Female patients showed higher medication non-compliance.

Conclusions:

• DRE exhibits gender predilection for specific age groups and seizure types.
• Idiopathic cases are common in DRE, highlighting the need for advanced diagnostic investigations.
• Normal EEG findings do not exclude DRE, and medication non-compliance is more prevalent in females.